


put my money where my mouth is (for the first time in my life)

by symphony7inAmajor



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: (ao3 user voice) you again!, Claustrophobia, First Kiss, M/M, Panic Attacks, Trapped In Elevator, with more tenderness!, yeah me again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21611185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symphony7inAmajor/pseuds/symphony7inAmajor
Summary: Nikolaj hates small spaces. He's fast and he likes to move around as much as he can. He needs open spaces for that.So, of course it's just his luck that he gets stuck in an elevator.(at least patrik is with him.)
Relationships: Nikolaj Ehlers/Patrik Laine
Comments: 12
Kudos: 82





	put my money where my mouth is (for the first time in my life)

**Author's Note:**

> welcome back to another episode of I Can't Calm Down! starring: me
> 
> prompted by an anon with: patrik and nikolaj ended up trapped in a elevator and nikolaj is claustrophobic so cue a worried and protective patrik trying to keep him calm
> 
> basic tw? nikolaj is claustrophobic and panics. his Fear also makes him Lash Out at patrik but only for a Moment
> 
> title from "forget" by marina and the diamonds

“Hey, Fly!” Patrik’s voice cuts through the sounds of the locker room.

Nikolaj struggles to get his jersey the rest of the way over his head and fails. It got stuck on his pads, and now he’s stuck. He flails his hands a little. “Help?” he says, muffled. 

He hears Patrik laugh, then Patrik’s hands, quick and careful, untangle his jersey and he helps Nikolaj pull the jersey off. 

“Nice job,” Patrik says, his eyes bright with mischief. He’s smiling his crooked smile and standing too close. 

Nikolaj stares in silence for long enough that Patrik starts to look uncertain and his grin fades a little, then Nikolaj shakes himself off mentally. 

“So, uh, what’s up?” he asks. He winces. 

Patrik raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything about Nikolaj’s awkwardness. “Do you want to come over?” he asks. “We can play some Chel and I’ll order dinner.” 

Nikolaj notices the implication that Patrik is offering to pay for dinner. He sways back a little on his skates, worried he might otherwise tip forward into Patrik’s chest, and nods. “Yeah,” he agrees. “I’ll meet you there.”

The smile Patrik gives him is weirdly pleased for dinner and video games, but whatever. Patrik’s a weird guy sometimes. Nikolaj doesn’t let it phase him.

They both finish up at the same time and head to the parking lot together. Patrik steps aside at one point to let someone else pass, moving closer to Nikolaj in doing so. He doesn’t move away, sticking close to Nikolaj’s side until they have to split up to go to their cars.

“See you in a few,” Patrik says. He brushes his hand over Nikolaj’s lower back and goes to his car before Nikolaj can say anything.

Nikolaj stares after him for a moment, almost stunned. He’s wearing a coat and Patrik has gloves on, but he can almost feel the ghost of warmth from Patrik’s hand on his skin. He swallows hard and makes himself get a move on.

It starts to snow when Nikolaj is halfway to Patrik’s place. Big, fluffy flakes drifting slowly down from the clouds and making Nikolaj drive a little slower.

It’s still not a long drive, and Patrik is waiting for him in the lobby to let him inside. 

“Glad you decided to show up,” Patrik teases. 

Nikolaj scowls and dusts the snow out of his hair. It’s coming down really heavy now, and Nikolaj isn’t sure if he’ll be able to get home tonight. “I figured being a couple minutes late was better than not showing up at all because I died in a car accident,” he says crossly. 

Patrik laughs, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he slings an arm around Nikolaj’s shoulders and leads him to the elevators. If Nikolaj leans into his side a little, he can always blame it on the cold.

He tries not to look too disappointed when Patrik releases him to press the button for his floor. He leans back against the wall and inhales slowly through his nose. 

He’d expected that he’d be used to elevators by now, but apparently not. He still feels like the walls are closing in around him, making his breathing come short and fast. He’s good at hiding it, though, so he fakes being comfortable and makes a face at Patrik in the mirror.

That’s when the elevator makes a muffled clanking sound and lurches to a stop.

Nikolaj’s heart stutters and he looks at Patrik, frightened.

Patrik frowns and tries to press the button for his floor again. When that doesn’t do anything, he tries the  _ Open Door  _ button. No luck. Nikolaj’s hands tighten around the handrail.

“I’ll call the service number,” Patrik says, glancing over his shoulder at Nikolaj. He does a double take, apparently noticing Nikolaj’s fear. He steps away from the button panel and close to Nikolaj, settling his hands carefully on Nikolaj’s shoulders. “Hey,” he says, gentle, “it’s okay.”

Nikolaj swallows hard and shakes his head. His throat feels dry and his tongue feels somehow stuck to the roof of his mouth. “I—” He can’t get the words out.

“Here, sit down,” Patrik urges, helping Nikolaj lower himself to the floor. He rubs Nikolaj’s shoulders. “I’m just going to call the service people and let them know what’s going on, okay? We’re going to be fine. Promise.” His voice is confident and firm.

Nikolaj draws his knees into his chest and wraps his arms around his legs when Patrik returns to the panel and dials the emergency number there. He’s quiet for a moment, then he swears and looks at his phone screen. He swears again.

“What is it?” Nikolaj asks in a small voice.

“The service is shit in here,” he says. He scowls. “The call won’t go through.”

Nikolaj feels his stomach drop. He doesn’t want to be trapped in here, he can’t—he won’t—   


“Nik,” Patrik says. He’s crouching right in front of Nikolaj.

_ When did that happen,  _ Nikolaj wonders, dazed. He notices that he’s shaking and curls in tighter on himself. 

Patrik rests a hand carefully on Nikolaj’s where his fingers are twisted together so tightly that his knuckles are white. He rubs his thumb over Nikolaj’s knuckles, back and forth and back and forth, slow and easy.

“We’re going to be fine,” Patrik says, his voice steady. “Even if I can’t call the service number, somebody will notice that this elevator isn’t working.”

“There are four elevators,” Nikolaj argues. “That could take  _ hours.” _

“I don’t think it’ll be that long,” Patrik says. There’s a look on his face like he doesn’t want to freak Nikolaj out and that just makes Nikolaj angry. 

Nikolaj pulls his hands out of Patrik’s and scowls. “You don’t  _ think,” _ he sneers. He grabs onto the anger because it’s better than fear, ignoring the startled look on Patrik’s face. “What use is that? You don’t know how long we’re going to be stuck here anymore than I do!”

The shock on Patrik’s face shifts into hurt, the corners of his mouth tilting down. “Fine,” he says, terse, “if you’re going to be like this about it.” He stands up and steps away to the other side of the elevator.

Nikolaj almost asks him to come back, almost says that he didn’t mean it, that he’s sorry, but pride makes the words stick in his throat.

The silence is uncomfortable in a way that it’s never been between them before, stiff and tense. Nikolaj fidgets in place, fiddling with the cuff of his sweater. Patrik keeps trying and failing to call the service number.

The air tastes a little stale. Nikolaj knows it’s impossible to suffocate in an elevator, not with the ventilation grate, but what if—

No. He refuses to think about it. Instead, he taps out the rhythm to any song he can think of on the back of his hand and focuses on that instead. Well, he tries to. It’s not easy when all he can see in his periphery are the walls of the elevator, too close.

Somehow, Patrik still seems very far away.

Nikolaj wraps his hands around his knees, digging his fingertips in to keep his hands from shaking. He tries breathing exercises, he tries closing his eyes and imagining that he’s somewhere else, he tries reciting the lyrics to every national anthem he knows in every language he knows, but nothing works.

He digs his fingers into his legs harder, squeezing his eyes shut against the burn of tears.    


He’s being stupid, he  _ knows _ he is, but he  _ hates _ being trapped in this tiny metal box. He wants to get  _ out. _

He wants Patrik to look at him again, too. Every time Nikolaj glances at him surreptitiously, Patrik is either frowning at his phone or trying the service number again. It makes Nikolaj feel worse, because he knows he deserves it.

Nikolaj sniffles as his chin wobbles, his eyes stinging. He tries to wipe his eyes with the end of his sleeve carefully, hoping Patrik won’t notice.

No luck.

Honestly, after a day like today, what did he expect?

“Fly?” Patrik says. There’s a noise like he’s moving closer, but Nikolaj buries his face in his shaking hands. “Hey, Nikolaj. Look at me.”

Nikolaj scrubs his face and looks up, certain that he looks like a mess. At the pity on Patrik’s face, Nikolaj’s eyes flick back down to his hands. He doesn’t want Patrik to see him like this.

Patrik is suddenly very close. He kneels beside Nikolaj, near enough that Nikolaj can feel the warmth of his body. He rests a hand on Nikolaj’s shoulder. Nikolaj tenses. 

“Niky.” Patrik sounds surprised, uncertain, and Nikolaj hates that he’s the cause.

“I’m fine.” It’s biting and sharp and so, so obviously a lie.

Patrik’s hand tightens on his shoulder. “Don’t lie to me,” Patrik says, though his voice is gentle. “I want to help.”

“What are you going to do,” Nikolaj says, “fix the elevator yourself?” He risks a glance up at Patrik.

Instead of the anger Nikolaj expected, Patrik looks—understanding, almost. Nikolaj wishes he’d take the bait, push back, anything to distract him. Nikolaj is almost shaking with desperation for something,  _ anything _ to take his mind off the way he’s so  _ trapped. _

Nikolaj can’t quite breathe.

He wheezes a little on an inhale, his heart racing as panic overtakes him again. Some distant part of him thinks he’s hyperventilating.

“Nik, Niky,” Patrik breathes, his big hands coming up to cup Nikolaj’s face carefully. He tips Nikolaj’s head up so they’re eye to eye. “Look at me, okay? Keep your eyes on me, that’s it. There, now—breathe, in and out. Nice and slow, good.” Patrik breathes with him, slow and careful until Nikolaj finally relaxes.

He lets out one last shuddery exhale and slumps back against the wall. Patrik keeps holding his face, thumbs sweeping over his cheekbones. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” Nikolaj finally says. “I’m scared and I—I took it out on you.”   


“I know,” Patrik murmurs. One of his hands curls around the back of Nikolaj’s head, fingers slipping through Nikolaj’s hair. His expression is soft and open, his clear blue eyes warm on Nikolaj’s.

_ Oh,  _ is all Nikolaj has time to think before Patrik kisses him.

He kisses back right away, not just because it’s a good distraction—though it is—but because he’s been in love with Patrik for at least two years. He’s not about to let this pass him by.

Patrik’s lips are warm and soft, his fingers gentle in Nikolaj’s hair and against his cheek. Nikolaj curls his fingers in the front of Patrik’s hoodie and winds the drawstring around his fingers to keep Patrik close when they finally part.

Keeping one hand tight on Patrik’s hoodie’s drawstrings, Nikolaj lifts a hand to trace his fingers down the side of Patrik’s face. Patrik shivers a little, swallowing hard as he studies Nikolaj’s expression. 

Nikolaj barely has to tug the drawstrings at all before Patrik is leaning in to kiss him again. 

They keep their kisses slow and their touches innocent—mostly.

Nikolaj can’t quite stop himself from nipping a little at Patrik’s lower lip, just to see what Patrik will do.

_ What Patrik will do,  _ apparently, is slip his tongue into Nikolaj’s mouth and tighten his hand in his hair.

Nikolaj whines into his mouth, desperate, and Patrik backs off a little. 

This isn’t exactly the time  _ or _ the place for heavy makeouts, and they both know it. Patrik presses one last, soft kiss to his lips before leaning away. He opens his mouth to speak and—

The elevator jerks into motion.

Nikolaj squeaks and Patrik catches the handrail over his head so he doesn’t crush Nikolaj by accident.    


They spring apart when the doors open, Nikolaj smoothing down his hair in what he hopes is subtle.    


Neither of the men who rescued them seem to notice anything amiss, instead stepping aside to let them out and accepting their thanks with grace. 

“Sorry we took so long, eh?” one of them says. “Blizzard’s brutal out there. Traffic is pretty much stopped everywhere.” 

“Oh,” Nikolaj says. He looks at Patrik a little hesitantly.

Patrik speaks before he can even ask. “Stay over,” he says. He clears his throat. “Please?” He’s looking at Nikolaj hopefully.

After making sure nobody’s watching, Nikolaj reaches out and takes Patrik’s hand. He weaves their fingers together and squeezes, letting his actions do the talking. Patrik’s answering grin is bright and happy and perfectly lopsided.

“Come on,” Nikolaj says, quiet, “we can take the stairs.”

For a second, Patrik glances at the other, functional elevators. Then he looks back at Nikolaj, his grin softening into a gentle smile.

“Yeah,” Patrik says, “let’s go.”

There may be a blizzard outside, but the heat of Patrik’s hand in his and the warm feeling in his chest make it easy for Nikolaj to forget the cold outside.

**Author's Note:**

> once again just procrastinating studying for finals. ahaha.......
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/symphony7inAmaj)
> 
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